Machine for affixing postage-stamps or labels upon envelops, cards, &amp;c.



Patented sept. 2, i902,y

Nn. 708,423.A

` n. H.. snoue. E

`MAGHINE FOB AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS 0R LABELS UPDN ENVELOPS cAns, am.

(Application led Apr.` 1, 1902.)

(,No Model.)

1N: Nonms Pzrsns co.. PHcraLmgo.. wAsMmamvA b. c.

No. 708.423. Patented sept. 2, |902.

B. H. sTmmG.

MACHINE FOB AFFIXING POSTAGE STAMPS 0R LABELS` UPON ENVELUPS, 0ARDS,-&c.

(Application Bled Apr. 1, 1902.) l (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

mimi/11i@ FIN/ill Roezfffzw Ma/wf @w v3o the line2 2 of Fig. 2.

Nrrn Srarrrgs ROBERT H. STRONG, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFTWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM O. R. BRADLEY AND JOHN P. MCCAFFERY, OF GALESBURG,

ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE-STAMPS R LABELS UPON ENVELOPS, CARDS, clic.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,423, datedSeptember 2, 1902.

Application tiled April l, 1902. Serial No. 100,924. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, zit nwty 0077.067171,.-

Beit known that I, VROBERT H. STRONG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Afl'ixingPostage-Stamps or Labels upon Envelops, Oards, thc., of which thefollowing is a specification. This invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements in machines the function of which is to separate andaflix stamps or labels having an adhesive surface to envelops, cards, orother objects; and the invention consists in the construction andcombination of the parts which constitute such a machine, as will behereinafter set forth.

The object of the invention is to provide a device in which a sheet withadhesive material on one side may be carried beneath cutzo ters whichwhen operated will sever a rectangular portion from the sheet and presssuch severed part upon an envelop or other surface which has beenmoistened to attach the stamp or label thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of anenvelop-moistener and a stamp or label affiXer constructed in accordwith the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view on Fig. l is a detail perspective View showing thepivoted cutters, and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the stop andrelease mechanism for the carriage.

Upon a suitably-constructed base A are mounted supports d a, which carrya rod a, a carriage A being pivotally attached to the rod, so as toslide thereon, The carriage is drawn toward one end of the base by aflexible connection ZJ, which is attached to one 4o end of thecarriage,the other end being wound about a spring-drum b, which may berotatively mounted on a bracket or upright b2. The carriage Ahas nearits front lower edge a feed-roller d2, a rod passing through such 45roller and being journaled in the end pieces of the carriage, the rodprovided beyond one of the side pieces of the carriage with a knob forturning the feed-roller, and the roller may be provided with rings a3 tofrictionally engage the sheet which is placed between the front and backplates of the carriage. The length of the carriage may be such that itwill receive between its ends a sheet which is equal in length to thelength of ten postagestamps, the distance between the end plates of thecarriage may be less, and the movement of the carriageis step bystep andequals the length of a label or stamp which it is desired to al'ltix.The step-by-step movement of the carriage is governed by the distancebetween the vertical members or teeth of a rack-bar A2, which isattached to the carriage and depends from the central portion of theback plate thereof. From the hack plate of the carriage A project lugsA4, through which the rod a' passes, and the carriage is pivoted to thisrod and is in sliding engagement therewith, and as the carriage may betilted on its pivot the rack-bar, which is rigidly attached to thecarriage, will be moved therewith and when the carriage is raised willbe positioned to one side of the stop and release mechanism.` Thecarriage is reciprocated or moved by a spring -and flexible connectionover a plate B, which is attached to the base and supported so as to beslightly above the plane or upper surface of' the base to provide arecess beneath which envelops or other objects may be passed in order tohave stamps or labels afiixed thereto. The plate Bis cut away to providea space for pivoted knives, and the plate adjacent to the knives hasstrips b, against which the pivoted members of the cutters bear whendepressed. The plate B also carries a guide b2, beneath which the stampsor labels pass to properly guide them to the cutters.

The stop and release mechanism is supported by an angular plate C,attached to the base, and this plate carries an angular or inclinedpiece O', which provides a stop to limit the rearward movement of a dogD, which is pivoted to the vertical portion of the plate O, so that itsrearwardly-projecting upper end may abut against the stop-plate C'. Theoscillating member or dog D to one side of its pivot d carries a springd2, which abuts against a depending member c of an oscillating pawl E,which is pivoted to the dog D. This part E overlies the part D and isnormally thrown toward the rearwardly-projecting upper member thereof bythe spring d2, and one of the sides extends suiiiciently to be engagedby the vertical members of the rackbar. 'Said bar as drawn toward oneend of the base by the spring-actuated drum causes one of the verticalmembers of the teeth of the rack to engage one side of the pawl E, whicheffects a stoppage of the carriage. A downward pressure being exerted onthe rod F rocks the dog and moves its end d away from the stop-plate,and at the same time the rack-bar slides over the side of the pawl andengages the side of the dog. On the movement of the dog D toward thestop-plate, which takes place when the rod is allowed to move upward,the rack-bar will engage the edge e of the pawl, move it against theaction of its spring d2, at the same time sliding over the side of thedog until it passes beyond its edge, when the rack-bar and carriage willadvance one step, the next tooth of the rack-bar engaging the side ofthe pawl, which is immediately thrown in the path of the rack-bar by thespring cl2. The dog is rocked toward the front of the machine by adownpull on the rod F, which is connected to the dog and to the bar G,which bar ismoved upward by a spring h'. When the rearward-projectingupper end of the dogis against the stop-plater C, the part E will beengaged on one side by a vertical member of the rack-bar, and when therod is drawn upon the dog and the part E will be swung toward the frontthe vertical member which engages-with the side of the part E will slideon said part and contact with the upper portion of the dog. AsV the rodF is allowed to move upward the rearwardlyprojecting upper end of thedog will move toward the stop-plate, and the part E Will by being inengagement ywith the rack-bar be swung on its pivot, the parts beingseparated to provide a space through which the rackbar may pass, suchoperation being repeated as often as the rod F is depressed andreleased. The upper end of the pawl E is beveled, so that when thecarriage is moved against the action imparted thereto by thespring-actuated drum the rack-bar will engage the beveled end and permitthe carriage to be moved past the pawl when said carriage slides on itsbar and its front edge on the plate B. By lifting the front edge of thecarriage the rackbar can be moved entirely out of the path of the stopand release mechanism.

G refers to a bar which is pivoted to the rear edge of the base andextends beyond the front thereof, and this bar or lever has a block g,so that it may be readily depressed by hand, though in practice to thefront end of the lever is attached a rod g', which eX- tends downwardand connects with a treadle of ordinary construction. The rod F isconnected to the lever G near its pivot, and at a suitable point throughthe base, so as to engage with the lever, is a connecting-rod h, whichhas a spring h', the spring being between the base A and the under sideof a pivoted plate I, which serves as a presser and cutter. The boltabove the presser. and cutter I is threaded and carries a nut t.

A blade or cutter J is pivoted to a vertical portion which projects froma strip-b', and this blade has therethrough an aperture k,

.the end of the blade being beveled to correspond with the beveledprojecting corner 7c of the blade and presser I, so that the ends of thepivoted cutters will fit snugly against the strips b. To the blade andpresser I there is attached a bar I2, the free endbeing passed throughan aperture 7c in the blade J, so that when the presser and cutter israised the blade J will be raised in unison therewith. To the base thereis attached an npright L, which carries a horizontal pin or bar m, andon the same is pivoted a frame m, to which is attached, so as to have alimited range of oscillatory movem ent,a pad-carrying frame N, the padwhich is carried thereby being adapted to enter a depression orwatercontaining recess O in the base. The padcarrying frame is normallyforced into the recess by a spring fn., which is carried by the rod, oneend of the spring bearing on the frame or yoke m', to which thepad-carrying frame is pivoted.

P refers to a water-tank which is suitably attached to the base and haspipes or connections which lead to a tube P, located irnmediately abovethe pad which is carried by the frame N, and the end of this tube P mayhave a cap either to cut off entirely the ow from the Water-tank or toregulate the drip.

In operation a sheet of postage-stamps is placed in the carriage thelower edges being passed beneath the roller a2, the carriage is drawn toone end of the base away from the pivoted knives, the moistening-pad iswet by water from the supply-tank. When the roller is turned by theknob, the sheet will be fed under the guide-plate h2. The machine is nowready for operation. An envelop is passed under the moistener, onecorner lying beneath the presser and cutter, the lever G is depressed,such movement operating the stop and release mechanism, which allows thecarriage to travel one step, which places the corner of the sheetbeneath the presser and cutter, the next action being to lower thepivoted blades, which will sever the stamp or label from the sheet andpress the severed portion against the moistened corner of the envelop.The envelop is then withdrawn, another one inserted, and the operationrepeated until the entire lower strip has been removed, after which thecarriage is restored to its initial position and the roller is turned tofeed another strip in line with the cutters.

I claiml. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a base having thereona water-supply tank, a

IIO

moistener below the end of a pipe connected with the Water-tank, areciprocating carriage envelop in its passage beneath the plate tomoisten such part of the envelop, a blade cacting with one edge of theplate and a blade coacting with the other edge and with thefirst-mentioned blade, the blades being relatively movable with respectto each other to sever a piece from a sheet, one of the blades having aflat portion of sufficient width to cover the severed portion of thesheet, for the purpose set forth` 1 3. In a machine for clipping andaffixing rectangular pieces from a gummed sheet, the combination with apivoted and upwardly* movable moistening-pad, fixed lower cutters andmovable upper cutters arranged in line i therewith and at right anglesto each other, a

carriage carrying a gummed sheet, means for moving the carriage step bystep and means for depressing the upper cutters, substantially as shown.

4. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a carriage having a rack-barrigidly attached thereto, a rod for supporting the carriage saidcarriage being in swinging and in sliding en gagement therewith, a stopand clutch mechanism for engagement with the rack-bar, comprising apivotally-supported dog, a pawl which overlies one side of thedog andthe end thereof, the overlyingside of the pawl arranged to engage theteeth of the ratchetplate, substantially as set forth.

5; In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of areciprocating carriage, a supportingrod therefor, a stop and releasemechanism comprising a fixed ratchet-plate which moves in unison withthe carriage, a pawl with which the vertical members of the teeth of theratchet-plate engage, a dog also engaged by the same portion of the:ratchetteeth, means for swinging the dog and the pawl when the latteris engaged by the ratchetplate to provide a space between the dog andpawlv for the passage of one tooth of the ratchet-plate, a spring-drum,a lieXible connection between the drum and the carriage, a lever withwhich the stop and release mechanism is connected, a pivoted barconnected to the dog, fixed lower cutter and movable upper cutterscarried b v the base, the upper cutters being in movable engagement onewith the other, and a rod connecting 011e of the upper cutters with thepivoted bar to operate the upper cutters when the bar is depressed,substantially as shown.

o'. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of a base, acarriage-supporting frame attached to the base, a carriage movable onthe frame, a ratchet-plate attached to the carriage, a springactuateddrum mounted on the base, a flexible connection attached to the drum andto the carriage, a lever pivoted to the underside of the base, a stopand release mechanism actuated by the lever for engagement with theratchet-plate, a pair of pivoted cutters arranged at right angles toeach other, a spring for lifting one of the cutters, fixed lowercutterswhich cooperate with the pivoted cutters, means for connecting one ot'the blades to the lever, means carried by said blade for engagement withthe pivoted blade at rightangles thereto, and a moistener in proximityto the cutting-blades, substantially as shown.

In testimonywhereof I subscribe my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT H. STRONG.

XVitnesses:

JOHN E. MALEY, JOHN P. MCCAFFERY.

